Revolution of 1910. the first rad ical changes to marriage law were introduced 48 The reforms were overturned during the salazar dictatorship and had no lasting influence in Portugal nor in that region generally. I think it is noteworthy that these reforms were brought about revolution that temporarily diminished the influence of the Church and the ecclesiastical concepts of family law scandinavia Another region where a far-reaching transformation of family law took place early on is Scandinavia. During the first stage of reform, approximately from 1909 until 1929, the regarding divorce, matrimonial property and the position of illegitimate children were substantially modernised. 49 In contrast to French, Portuguese and Soviet revolutionary law the transformations that took place in the Scandinavian countries were not the result of a social revolution, but rather the product of a gradual, evolutionary process of liberalisation By the end of the period mentioned above the family law of the Scand inavian countries was signif icantly more modern than in most other Western European countries. Several authors have tried to explain this phenomenon. This is not made any easier by the fact that the Scandinavian countries did not have the most developed economy, nor the strongest liberal influence. 50 a possible factor could have been the relatively high level of secularism. 51 The ideological basis for the reforms was formed by the combination of two dominant ideological movements: the liberals and the social democrats. 52 Rheinstein typifies the Scandinavian legislation of that time as typical products of liberalism' 53 Bradley, in his extensive work or Scandinavian Legal Culture, 54 elaborates on the impact of the ideas of equality, of liberalism and of the first wave of feminism. Although to me it seems something more than coincidence that powerful expressions of these ideas such as Ibsen's A Doll's House and The lady from the Sea originated from that very region, these ideas were definitely not unique to Scandinavia. Noteworthy in this respect is that the ideals of the liberals and the social democrats, so divergent when it comes to politics and economics, were so much alike when it came to family policy and the emancipation of women. 55 Typical is also that in Scandinavia the liberal ideas at that time were not confined to public life but already involved private life and the reform of the family was considered a matter of high political priority. 56 Perhaps a combination of these factors, together with a favourable political climate, made Scandinavia one of the first regions where family law was rad ically modernised The soviet union SH Cohn, The Foreign Laws of Marriage and Divorce(1937), pp 182-184, cited by Bradley (1996),p 10 49For an overview, see Bradley (1996), pp 9-13; Schmidt(1984 ), p 80 50See Willekens(1997),p. 87 5 Bradley(1996), pp 3-9 52Gaunt and Nystrom(1996), p. 480 5 Rheinstein( 1972), p. 154 Bradley (1996) 5dem,p.156 56Idem, p. 138Revolution of 1910, the first radical changes to marriage law were introduced.48 The reforms were overturned during the Salazar dictatorship and had no lasting influence in Portugal nor in that region generally. I think it is noteworthy that these reforms were brought about by a revolution that temporarily diminished the influence of the Church and the ecclesiastical concepts of family law. Scandinavia Another region where a far-reaching transformation of family law took place early on is Scandinavia. During the first stage of reform, approximately from 1909 until 1929, the rules regarding divorce, matrimonial property and the position of illegitimate children were substantially modernised.49 In contrast to French, Portuguese and Soviet revolutionary law, the transformations that took place in the Scandinavian countries were not the result of a social revolution, but rather the product of a gradual, evolutionary process of liberalisation. By the end of the period mentioned above, the family law of the Scandinavian countries was significantly more modern than in most other Western European countries. Several authors have tried to explain this phenomenon. This is not made any easier by the fact that the Scandinavian countries did not have the most developed economy, nor the strongest liberal influence.50 A possible factor could have been the relatively high level of secularism.51 The ideological basis for the reforms was formed by the combination of two dominant ideological movements: the liberals and the social democrats.52 Rheinstein typifies the Scandinavian legislation of that time as ‘typical products of liberalism’.53 Bradley, in his extensive work on Scandinavian Legal Culture,54 elaborates on the impact of the ideas of equality, of liberalism and of the first wave of feminism. Although to me it seems something more than coincidence that powerful expressions of these ideas such as Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and The Lady from the Sea originated from that very region, these ideas were definitely not unique to Scandinavia. Noteworthy in this respect is that the ideals of the liberals and the social democrats, so divergent when it comes to politics and economics, were so much alike when it came to family policy and the emancipation of women.55 Typical is also that in Scandinavia the liberal ideas at that time were not confined to public life but already involved private life, and the reform of the family was considered a matter of high political priority.56 Perhaps a combination of these factors, together with a favourable political climate, made Scandinavia one of the first regions where family law was radically modernised. The Soviet Union 48H. Cohn, The Foreign Laws of Marriage and Divorce (1937), pp. 182-184, cited by Bradley (1996), p. 10. 49For an overview, see Bradley (1996), pp. 9-13; Schmidt (1984), p. 80. 50See Willekens (1997), p. 87. 51Bradley (1996), pp. 3-9. 52Gaunt and Nystrom (1996), p. 480. 53Rheinstein (1972), p. 154. 54Bradley (1996). 55Idem, p. 156. 56Idem, p. 138